Thanks for the pics

Mines practically hidden by tons of wire bunndles.

 

Looks like a PITA to change and probably worse on the SS, but that's best place to start if your running at higher temp with no coolant loss. I would be surprised if T-stat is covered, but dont hurt to ask..

 

Ya upon a closer look . It apears to be under 90% of the wiring in the engine bay, Nice.

 

Definitely more buried than I thought it would be. Is it in the same location on the SS? Shouldn't be too bad once you get a couple of extension bars on the end of a ratchet. Best to do it when COLD!! and after you drain it. It's going to make a bit of a mess, so be prepared for some cleanup.

 

Guess that answers my question. They are usually pretty cheap...<$10. Not to mention that a fluid change isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

T-Stats cheap and shouldn't be more than 1 hr. labor charge at a certified repair shop. Around 100 bucks just may save you a day of misery..

 

should still be a warranty repair ..

 

Hopefully you will still be covered by warranty - as the dealers aren't cheap for a simple thermostat replacement - my dealer wanted $350!!!!

However, replacing the thermostat has already been documented - see:
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/how-save-%24350-00-thermostat-replacement-2-4l-p0128-24493/ and
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...t=21362&page=2

But be prepared for a shock if you buy the thermostat yourself - they are no longer a $5-10 item. I think mine cost $35 or so at an aftermarket shop.

If you do it yourself, the rad drain plug is semi-hidden - thank Chev Mgr for the location at this link: https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/coolant-drain-valve-19035/

best of luck

 

Good to know it's covered but that poses a dilemma for me. I'm used to replacing them every couple of winters as predictive maintenance. Does higher cost = better quality and we can get 100k out of them? Thinking about it more most stats today are designed to fail open so it might not be your problem Bat. Better not to guess and have dealer check entire cooling system..

 

I had the fan kick on yesterday for the first time also. It was about 90 degrees and sitting in traffic, but the temp never got past 202 from what I saw.